


Boss

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS, NCIS AU - Fandom
Genre: BDSM (mentioned), Case Fic, Developing Friendships, Established Friendship Gibbs/McGee, Friendship, Language, Light BDSM, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 10:44:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5453804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>He</i> worked with Gibbs, and he called Gibbs, Boss.  So what right, did this Detective DiNozzo had to call Gibbs, Boss?  Will McGee find the out the reason behind this?  What will happen to the ten year old cold case they're investigating and what does it have to do with the undercover operation Detective DiNozzo went on?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emerald1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald1/gifts).



> Thank you to my wonderful beta, AmyH0127 for all of the hard work on this fic!

“Boss?” McGee clenched his teeth and hissed as Gibbs pressed down harder on the bullet wound that decorated his side. He knew it was bad, bad enough that if they didn’t get help soon he would not see the next sunrise.

“You’re doing fine, Tim. Just hold on.” Gibbs couldn’t believe how much blood there was. Already it saturated the shirt he’d ripped off and placed on the wound. He looked around and cursed silently. They were pinned down with no backup and he couldn’t leave McGee alone to go and get help. He tried to remember how many he saw out there and calculated their chance of survival. He had to duck when a bullet slammed hard against the door behind him, but didn’t manage to get through the steel. He leaned down and covered Tim’s body with his own.

Tim groaned at the sudden movement, it felt like his side was on fire, the flames streaking over his body and took his breath away making him gasp for air.

“Easy, Tim, just breathe for me. You’re going to be all right.” Gibbs lifted the shirt and grimaced at the sight. Although the bleeding had slowed down, the wound was still oozing. He placed the shirt back and increased the pressure again.

“You need to get out of here, Boss.” Timothy found his voice.

“Not leaving you here, McGee.” Gibbs answered gruffly.

Timothy huffed. “Our meet has gone belly up, Boss. No one knows where we are and I doubt that we’re anywhere near any civilization for anyone to have heard those gunshots, Boss. You need to get out of here. It’s our only hope.”

Gibbs wanted to kick himself. His gut turned from the start of this operation and it proved to be right once again. The bad guys changed the location of the meet at the last second and gave them a limited time to arrive there. When they got at the new location, they were ordered to leave their car, as well as their personal property – including phones and weapons behind. They were transported to the next meeting place in a non-descript white van, both men blindfolded so they couldn’t see where they were going. None of them could’ve foreseen that one of the low-level men associated with the drug ring was a dismissed petty officer who Gibbs took down only a year before. It was there when things started to go horribly wrong.

Both men had managed to scramble to safety behind some crates as the gang was slow in reaching for their weapons, but they took heavy fire and had to move. A closed steel door to the side seemed like the perfect solution, but with no means to cover themselves, they could only run and pray for the best. It was during the run that Tim took the hit. Now they were in the smaller part of the building. It looked like the warehouse was divided into sections, the section they were in was clearly earmarked for an office as there were a few cubicles in front of them, but neither man could spot any door leading to the outside. There were some windows to the side, but they were high up. Now they only had a drywall and a door (which they managed to barricade with a heavy cross bar and some cabinets) between them and the gang. More and more bullets penetrated the door and Gibbs moved McGee deeper into the larger space, placing him down behind one of the cubicles.

“You still have your knife with you, Boss?” McGee asked again and had to take a deep breath as another wave of pain slammed into him.

“Rule #9, McGee.” Gibbs quoted the rule and indicated to his belt as well as to his ankle. It seemed like the thugs didn’t do a good enough search of Gibbs and missed the knife strapped onto his ankle.

“Then we can get out of here.” McGee’s eyes drifted to the windows high up. He grinned when he saw Gibbs’ face. “You’re a trained sniper, Gibbs and a Marine. I know you can get out. I know how quiet you can move. You can go out, go around and get rid of them one by one silently.” McGee snorted. “Hell, Boss, you can even kill a man without using a knife.”

“And what are you going to do when they finally get through the door?” Gibbs asked gruffly.

“Not going to happen, Boss. If they were able to get through, they would’ve done it already. Luckily for us, they’re stupid and not thinking of grabbing something to bring the wall down. I’ll be all right. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner both of us can get out of here.”

Gibbs knew McGee was talking sense. With no means to defend themselves, they had to find a way of getting out of there and they had to be creative. He sighed and then nodded in agreement. “Let’s move you to the back.” He didn’t hesitate in his actions but quickly helped Tim to his feet and moved him right to the back behind the last cubicle.

“You all right?” Gibbs asked as he saw the green color on McGee’s face.

McGee nodded. “I’ll be fine.” He looked at the window above them. “Better get going, Boss.”

“Giving me orders, Probie?” He smiled as McGee grinned.

“It’s been a while since the last time you called me that, Boss.”

“After being with me for two years, you’re no longer a probie, McGee. You’re shaping up to be one of the best agents out there.”

Timothy frowned. “Two years, Boss?” Then he remembered the date. It was indeed two years to the day that Gibbs offered him a place on his one man team and quoted Rule #5 (don’t waste good). Timothy nodded his head in thanks. Praise from Gibbs was a rare thing and he knew the older man meant it. “If we get out of here, will you tell me why _he_ calls you boss?” McGee blushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Just forget about it.”

A strange look appeared on Gibbs’ face but then he sighed. “You jealous, McGee?”

McGee shook his head. “No, Boss. It’s just strange, I mean, he doesn’t work for you, so why does he call you that?”

A soft smile appeared on Gibbs’ face. “Not sure you’ll be able to handle it, but I’ll make you a deal. When we get out of here, I’ll tell you why he calls me boss as well.” Gibbs got to his feet. “And, McGee, no need to feel jealous. You’ll always be on my team. I know you’ve got my six.” He didn’t look at the younger man as he pulled a desk closer to the wall, stacked a chair on top of it and leaped first on the table, then on the chair and finally heaved himself up to the window. “Keep pressure on that wound, McGee.” He didn’t wait for a reply but managed to open the window and disappeared through it, leaving McGee behind.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

McGee pressed harder on the wound. He was feeling weak and hoped Gibbs would be quick. He couldn’t help but to think about the man that he only met a few times, Detective Tony DiNozzo, a hotshot detective from a special task team that combatted syndicate crime around the DC area. The tall, dark headed man with longer than regulated hair, the little gold stud in his left ear and a vibe that surrounded him that screamed out sex on legs. He had the ability to make Tim feel flustered, intimidated and strangely aroused at the same time. But, he also had to add, the man was always friendly and even when he became too loud a single look from Gibbs would have him settle down immediately, but still be jovial. Gibbs had different effects on different people, but it was the first time that he saw a reaction like that. When he heard the detective calling Gibbs ‘boss’ the first time, he thought the man was mocking him, but then he looked up and saw that DiNozzo was being serious and the look on Gibbs’ face told him that Gibbs took it in a serious light as well. He wanted to stand up and tell DiNozzo that it was his right, and his right only to call Gibbs that, but then they got a call and a case had to be solved. After that, he heard DiNozzo calling Gibbs that twice more and it still made him bristle, but knew it would be childish to ask DiNozzo to stop. He still couldn’t believe that he asked Gibbs for an explanation. The wound to his side really made him brave. He shivered hard and nearly screamed as the pain made itself known again. He pressed hard onto the wound and concentrated on his breathing. Now was not the time to think about Detective DiNozzo or the fact that he called Gibbs ‘Boss’. Now he had to concentrate on himself, especially if he didn’t want to pass out. Passing out was not an option, not when he was alone with the bad guys a few feet away. The problem was he could feel himself getting weaker with every passing second. He clenched his teeth; he just had to hold on. Gibbs would be back soon and then everything would be all right.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Gibbs made his way soundlessly around the side of the warehouse. He spotted the first guy standing to the side and he had to shake his head. Even though he could hear the gunshots coming from the inside, and he hoped that McGee was all right, the guy in front of him looked bored. Gibbs closed the distance between them quietly and before the man could realize he was there, he managed to snap his neck and guided the body to the ground. A quick search of the body revealed two guns, but more importantly, it revealed a phone as well. Gibbs dialed the office first. He didn’t give Abby a time to ask questions, just got her to get a fix on their location and to send for a bus and backup. He could hear her gasp as he asked for the EMTs, but cut the call short before she could inquire who was injured. He shoved the phone into his back pocket, checked the two nine millimeter pistols and headed into the building.

Gibbs managed to slit another man’s neck before he was noticed. He used the body as cover before returning fire and took another two men out. He found him behind the same crates again, but this time he was in a much better position than before. They were shooting at him randomly, while he took his time and made his shots count. Within minutes the last of the men lay dead on the floor and Gibbs checked them all out to make sure before he headed back to the door. He slammed his fist hard against it. Neither of them thought about how he was going to get back in once he got out. There was no way in which Tim would be able to move the heavy cabinets away and open the door. It looked like he had to find another way in. The wall was decorated with numerous shots sprayed all over. Gibbs had a good look at the wall, saw a spot that seemed weak and kicked out hard. It took him a few solid kicks before he finally managed to make a hole in the wall and get into the narrow space between the two sides of the wall. Not letting drywall stand between him and an injured agent, Gibbs put his back into things and kicked a hole through to the other side. In the distance he could hear the sirens approaching. He knew he had to meet the police first, but he had to know how McGee was doing. He used a broken piece of a support beam to enlarge the hole before he crept through. He made the hole big enough for the EMTs to get through as well.

“McGee!” he called out as he jogged back to where he left his injured teammate. “McGee!” Gibbs rounded the corner and sank to his knees. Blood pooled beneath Timothy and his skin was ash grey. “You with me, Timothy?” He gently brushed Tim’s hair out of his eyes and smiled as McGee’s eyes flickered before they opened up.

“Boss?” Timothy frowned and looked around. The memories returned together with the pain in his side. He hissed and pressed down on the hand that was connected to his.

“Easy, Tim. Just breathe through it.” Gibbs coached him through the pain until McGee breathed easier. “EMTs are on their way.” He could hear different pairs of shoes moving around on the other side of the wall and called out, not wanting to leave McGee alone for another second.

Timothy shivered. “Cold, Boss.” He moaned as the pain spiked again and then things turned grey as his eyes rolled over as he lost the battle with consciousness.

“Hold on, Timothy.” Gibbs’ voice was gruff. “In here!” He called out again and sighed in relief when he heard running footsteps approaching. He looked up as two EMTs came running around the corner. “GSW to the left lower side. He was conscious until a few seconds ago.” He spoke quickly as he moved out of their way and looked on as they assessed McGee’s condition before they loaded him with practiced ease onto a gurney and moved him out. Someone had pulled the cabinets away and lifted the barricade off the door, making it easier for the paramedics to go back out. He was about to follow them when he was stopped by a hand on his chest. His eyes flared with rage as he looked up. “Remove your hand or I will remove it for you.” He growled. Gibbs became aware of the fact that the whole warehouse became eerily still.

“Hold your horses, Gibbs.” Agent Sacks spoke up breaking the silence. “You know the drill. Need to take your statement before you can be released.

“And I told you to remove your hand or risk losing it.” Gibbs placed his hand over the wrist on his chest.

“Then I’ll just have to bring you up on assault of a federal officer.” Sacks smirked. He hated the NCIS agent and would do anything in his power to disgrace the older man.

“Do you have a death wish, Agent Sacks?” A male voice said from the back as the Deputy Director of the FBI stepped into the building. He arched an eyebrow as he looked on and saw his agent’s hand remaining on the marine’s chest.

“I’m doing my job, Sir.” Sacks answered back.

“And unless you want to continue doing it with one arm only, I would suggest you do as Agent Gibbs told you and let him go. You know where he works. You have his contact numbers. You can and you will get his statement later, Agent.”

Sacks lowered his head as he was chastised. He moved his hand away and looked on as Gibbs walked past him. “Stay in contact, Gibbs.” He couldn’t help but to speak up.

Gibbs slowly turned around and looked at the man behind him. “And you wonder why you would never get the chance to lead your own team, Agent Sacks.” Gibbs shook his head and jogged after the EMTs. He nodded his appreciation to the Deputy Director as he passed the older man. He would file his report later and he would give it to the Deputy Director himself, not to that ass Sacks. It was no wonder Fornell kicked the man off his team.

Gibbs got into the back of the ambulance just before it pulled away. He sat close to Tim, but stayed clear as the one EMT worked on the unconscious agent. “How’s he doing?”

“His vitals are a bit all over the place, but he’s still holding his own, which is good.” The EMT spoke into his radio as he informed the emergency room of Tim’s condition.

Gibbs moved forward and grabbed hold of Tim’s hand. “Hold on, Timothy. Hold on.” He squeezed the hand hard and sighed when it felt like Timothy squeezed back. The rest of the trip passed in a blur and before Gibbs realized it they were at Bethesda Hospital and McGee was wheeled off to the ER. He stood at the door of the waiting room. For a moment, he had no idea what to do then he reached for his phone and started making calls.


	2. Chapter 2

**Following morning: Bethesda Hospital**

“How is he, Duck?” Gibbs asked as he entered the hospital room and found his ME seated on the chair next to Timothy’s bed. He took a sip of his coffee and closed the distance between him and the bed. He squeezed Timothy’s hand and looked on as the different monitors displayed their information on the screens.

“Ah, Jethro.” Ducky stood up and smiled. “Young Timothy is doing quite remarkably. The surgeon is satisfied with his prognosis. The kidney they were worried about has started working again, so they are positive that he will recover one hundred percent.”

Gibbs grunted in response and remained quiet.

“Something on your mind, Jethro?” Ducky asked as he took his seat again. He kept an eye on his oldest friend and another on the different monitors.

Gibbs lowered his head. “I thought I’ve lost him, Duck.”

Ducky sighed. “And you are feeling as if it is your fault.” He shook his head. “I have read your after action report you made to the FBI, Jethro. You are not at fault. You and I both now that IA already cleared you and both men you killed with your hands were justified. In fact, it would not surprise me if you are commended for excellent service.” Ducky smirked. “Of course, young Timothy here would just have to place the award with all of the others he keeps locked away for you.”

It didn’t come as a surprise that Ducky had access to otherwise confidential reports. He ignored the awards remark. “It was still too damn close to my liking, Duck.”

Ducky shook his head. “Are you now saying that it was Timothy’s own fault, Jethro? Because as far as I know, you handpicked him. You trained him from the day he became your probie until this very day. And if I’m not mistaken, it’s been almost two years now.”

Gibbs snarled. “It’s been two years yesterday and that’s not what I’m saying, Ducky and you know it.”

Ducky smiled. “I know, Jethro. I know. You see Timothy as a son, a son that you’re so very proud of. One that you want to see safe each and every day and yet he goes out into the field with you every time, placing his own life, together with yours on the line. He wouldn’t have been on your team, Jethro if he wasn’t good enough. You know that.”

Gibbs nodded in agreement. As always Ducky knew exactly what was going on in his head. Gibbs smirked. “He asked me why Tony calls me boss.”

Ducky burst out laughing. “And are you going to tell him?”

“I made him a promise.” Gibbs cocked his head as he looked at the sleeping agent in the bed. “Do you think he’ll understand?”

“I think you would be surprised at what he’ll understand.” Ducky smiled again. “It is good that you tell him. I think he and Anthony would be good friends.”

It was Gibbs’ turn to laugh. “Tony will get McGee in so much of trouble. Timothy wouldn’t know what hit him if Tony comes into his life.”

“It will be good for both of them, Gibbs.” Ducky squeezed Timothy’s hand once before he got up from his chair again. “Tell him, Gibbs. He deserves to know.” Ducky didn’t look backwards as he exited the room. He knew it was time Gibbs got his thoughts in order. He smiled, softly. Timothy and Anthony would be very good friends, of that he was sure.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

He first smelled the antiseptics in the room. Then he became aware of the beeping noise in his ears before finally the pain in his side brought him to the surface with a gasp.

“Easy, Tim. You’re all right, just breathe through it.” It was Gibbs’ voice next to his ear and Tim took a deep breath as he tried to ride the pain out. He sighed as it worked and he slowly opened his eyes. “Boss?”

“Yep”, Gibbs replied and held a cup of water for McGee to take a sip. “How are you feeling?”

Tim closed his eyes after the swallow of water. It felt as if he was run over by something large, but he had a feeling he was still under the influence of some heavy-duty painkillers as the pain he felt was dull although still present. “Think I will survive.”

“Good.” Gibbs took the seat next to the bed.

Timothy turned his head. “You all right, Boss?”

Gibbs snorted. “You’re the one with a bullet wound to the side and you’re asking me if I’m all right? Did you hit your head somewhere that I’m not aware of?”

Tim smiled. “No, Boss, but I also know you. You’ll keep any injury you’ve sustained a secret and not tell anyone you’re injured.”

Gibbs nodded his head. His agent was correct. He’d done it before, but it had been a while since he’d done something like that. His best friend, Tobias had a way in coming over to his house, even before Gibbs could get comfortable and make him strip to make sure that he was all right. He tried to buck against it the first few times, but found it fruitless; Tobias could be very tenacious with stuff like that. “Trust me, McGee, I’m all right.” He didn’t add that Tobias already came over last night and made sure he was indeed okay.

“May I have some more water, please?” McGee eyed the cup next to him with eagerness.

“Little sips. You don’t need to puke it out.” Gibbs helped the younger man again and placed the cup back onto the side table. He cleared his throat but remained silent as McGee spoke up first.

“You managed to get all of them, Boss?”

“Yep. Each and every one. FBI is handling the rest of the case.” For once Gibbs didn’t mind, although he was still pissed that Sacks would be part of the investigation.

McGee merely nodded his head. He felt tired again and closed his eyes. He smiled softly when Gibbs spoke up next to him again.

“Get some rest, McGee. I’ll be here when you wake up. I still have a story to tell you.”

Gibbs looked on as McGee fell asleep once again and sighed in relief. The younger man was going to be all right. He would make a full recovery and would be back on his post again soon. He looked up when someone knocked on the door and grinned when he saw who it was.

“What brings you here, boy?”

“Boss”, Tony DiNozzo greeted with a smile as he entered the room. “Tobias asked me to come and check up on you.” He held out the cup of coffee he had in his hands.

Gibbs took the coffee from Tony’s hand, placed it next to the empty cup McGee drank from and pulled the dark haired man onto his lap. “Good to see you here, boy.” He leaned in and kissed Tony hard. He groaned softly as his lover melted against him. He took control over their shared kiss and took what he needed before pulling back. He grinned as he saw the look on Tony’s face. “You hard now, Tony?” He looked down at Tony’s crotch. He could see how tented the trousers were.

Tony moaned against Gibbs’ neck as he nodded his head. “Yes, Boss, you were evil this morning by making me put on that ring.” He pouted.

Gibbs grinned. “And let me guess, I’m also evil for saying no release for you for this whole week.”

Tony groaned. “Evil, Boss. You are so evil.” He snuggled deeper against Gibbs’ chest.

“Because I love you, Tony. You are mine to do to whatever I want to.”

Tony remained silent but looked over at McGee. “McGee going to be okay, Boss?” He liked teasing the young man. He loved the way he made the agent sputter for words or get flustered over nothing. He also respected him very much. Gibbs trusted him with his life, and that meant a lot in Tony’s eyes.

“He’s going to be fine, Tony.” Gibbs nipped at Tony’s neck before he pushed him off his lap. “I need to get back to the office.”

“Will it mean that he would be alone?” Tony frowned. He hated being in hospitals, especially being injured and then waking up all alone.

“Not for long. Palmer will be coming by soon and I know Tim’s sister, Sarah, is also on her way. His mother and father will be here by tomorrow.” Gibbs replied, as he got ready to leave.

“Boss?” Tony sank to his knees. “May I stay with him, please?”

Gibbs had no worries about anyone seeing Tony like this. He placed his hand on Tony’s head. “Why, boy?”

“I know how it feels to wake up and you’re all alone. Especially after you’ve been shot. I promise I will not bother him and the moment Mr. Palmer arrives I will leave. Please, Boss.”

Gibbs could hear that it was important for his boy to do this. “Okay, you can stay. I know you will not bother him.” Gibbs pulled Tony up by the arm and kissed him hard again. “It’s good to see you, Tony. I’ll be home tonight and we will play.” He smiled when Tony groaned against him. He knew Tony understood that even if they would be having sex he would not find his release tonight. It didn’t matter; it was still going to be hot.

“See you later, Boss. Keep safe.” Tony responded before he took the vacated seat. He made himself comfortable and relaxed. Being undercover made him good at the waiting game. Sitting there and waiting for Timothy McGee to wake up or Jimmy Palmer to show up would be easy to do.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Timothy woke up within someone humming next to his bed. For a moment, he thought it was his father, but then as he turned his head, he realized that it was Detective DiNozzo. It made him frown. “What are you doing here?” He managed to ask.

Tony cocked his head at the question. “I didn’t want you to wake up alone.” He answered honestly and reached for the water. The younger agent looked parched.

Tim frowned. “But you don’t know me.”

“True”, Tony shrugged his shoulders. “But, I do know how it feels to be shot, and I do know I hate every second of being bound to a hospital bed without being able to get out of it and doing stuff for myself.”

Timothy nodded in agreement. “Did Agent Gibbs go back to the office?” He asked and hoped he didn’t sound needy.

It was Tony’s turn to nod. “Your sister is on her way as well as your folks.”

“Thank you.” McGee was at a loss for words. He had no idea how to talk with the man seated beside his bed. Every time he thought of something he dismissed right out, he didn’t want to sound stupid. He wished Gibbs was there, at least his Boss could head slap him and maybe things would then be better. He was about to speak up again, when Tony beat him to the punch.

“I’m the one who should thank you.”

Tony’s comment left Timothy confused. “I don’t understand?”

“You’re part of Gibbs’ team, you’ve got his back. You keep him safe.” Tony responded.

“I’m sorry I still don’t understand. Why should you thank me for that? It’s my duty to keep my partner safe; I would fail in my job if I didn’t do that.” Timothy took another sip of water when Tony held the cup to his lips.

Tony chuckled. “McOblivious, you really don’t know.” He shook his head.

“My last name is McGee and what don’t I know?”

“No, McOblivious it’s not my place to tell you.” Tony got to his feet. “I think your sister is here.” He reached out and squeezed Tim’s hand once. “Keep well, McBrave.” He smiled and as Tim’s sister entered the room he bowed towards her and then disappeared.

“Wow! Who was that?” Sarah asked, as she looked back, hoping to catch another glimpse of the man who just exited her brother’s room.

Tim had no idea how to answer. DiNozzo really was an enigma to him. It made him even more curious to find out why the man also called Gibbs ‘Boss’. He wanted to kick himself for not thinking of asking the detective for an explanation, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t have received an answer, not the one he was looking for in any case. “Just someone who came to look to see if I was all right.” He finally managed to answer and then hissed as Sarah leaped forward and hugged him hard.

“I’m all right, Sarah.”

Sarah sniffed. “I was so worried.” She hugged him again and rested her head on his chest. “You scared me so much.”

“It’s all right. I’m all right.” McGee soothed her again as they stayed just like that, both of them grateful of the fact that he was still alive.


	3. Chapter 3

**Two weeks later**

Gibbs kissed Tony for the last time as his _boy_ lay sprawled out on the bed. Tony was going off on yet another undercover mission and he had no idea how long it would be before Tony would come back to him.

“Watch your six, boy.” Gibbs ordered the younger man before he straightened and headed to the door.

“Love you, Boss.” Tony responded and sighed. His body ached all over from their last round of lustful explorations. He turned and settled in to get some more sleep, but just before he drifted off, he reached for his phone and sent a quick text to the man who held his heart. When the phone indicated that the message was delivered, Tony closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

The moment Gibbs stepped off the elevator, McGee knew his boss was in a bad mood and that he’d better keep clear otherwise his head would be throbbing at the end of the day.

“Did Ducky clear you for duty, McGee?” Gibbs barked as he sat down behind his desk.

“Certificate is on your desk, Boss.” McGee looked up as Gibbs took the certificate and read it before he placed it back on his desk.

“Good. We’re on cold cases until the next our next rotation.” Gibbs picked up a file and held it out to the younger agent. “Want you to have a look at this one.” He looked up as McGee took the file from his hand. “Agent Dorneget is available to you, use him.” They were once again a two-man team now, their latest probationary agent, left during the two weeks Timothy was on sick leave, not being able to cope with Gibbs on his own. Gibbs got to his feet. “I’ll be in MTAC for most of the day, keep me up to date if you find something.”

“On it, Boss.” McGee took the file and headed back to his desk. He gently sat down, his side twitching slightly and opened it up. The picture that stared at him sent shivers down his spine. He closed the cover and looked at the date. It was a cold case from ten years ago, long before he even joined NCIS. He couldn’t help but to wonder why Gibbs chose this one. He opened the file again, flipping the photo over quickly and started to read. Soon it became clear why Gibbs chose this file. It seemed that Gibbs was the original investigator and worked on this one at least once a year, always around this time as well. McGee’s chest swelled with pride when he realized Gibbs trusted him enough to review this case. “We’ll solve this one, Boss.” McGee talked to himself as he started pulling the file apart to see what it was all about.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Tobias Fornell cursed as he closed the file that landed on his desk not more than an hour ago. At first he wanted to run away to never return, but he knew he could never do something like that. Instead, he fished out his phone and dialed a very familiar number. “We need to talk”, he didn’t wait for a reply, but ended the call and collected his jacket, making sure he took the file as well. “Going out for coffee”, he called over his shoulder as he exited the office.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

“Where did you get this?” Gibbs asked as he paged through the file Tobias placed before him.

“It landed on my desk a few hours ago.” Tobias replied and took a deep swallow of his coffee.

“I thought he was dead.” Gibbs hissed. He was beyond livid.

“We all thought so, Jethro.” Tobias sighed. “It could be a copycat.”

Gibbs shook his head. “It’s him.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Gibbs turned the photo and indicated with his index finger to a mark on the body. “We never released this detail, Tobias. Only I, Ducky, Mike Franks and Tom Morrow knew about this, we didn’t even share it with you guys, Tobias.”

At first Tobias wanted to become upset, but he understood. He focused his attention on the mark. “What is it?”

“Just before the first body appeared there was a gay club called ‘Smoking Hot’ situated near the docks. You know that ten years back, most people were not as open minded as today, the club took many hits. It got vandalized, the patrons terrorized, sometimes even assaulted.” Gibbs traced the mark with his hand. “They had a stamp system in place for entrance purposes. But, they used normal ink instead of that stuff that only showed up under fluorescent lights. They felt that if you attended the club you were proud enough to show it. One night a fire gutted the club and it never reopened. Then a week later, we found the first victim, marked with the same stamp the club used. We interviewed the owners and the personnel of the place. Everyone alibied out. The only lead that we found was that two nights prior to the inferno there was a break in. One of the items stolen was the stamp.” He looked up at his friend across from him. “This is the transgender symbol. All our victims had one stamped on the inside of their left thigh. It was always done in their own blood.”

“And now he’s back.” Tobias sighed. He didn’t even know about the stamp, he only brought Jethro the file due to the striking similarities to the case that haunted his friend for so many years and the newest Jane Doe.

Gibbs snorted. “I just handed McGee the first Jane Doe case to have a look at.” He shook his head. “She’s the key to this whole thing; I hope that a pair of fresh eyes can see something I’ve been missing all of these years.”

“You gonna open up the whole case again?”

Gibbs nodded. “I am. You onboard?”

“I’m in.” He would clear it with his director. They couldn’t let this son of a bitch get away with murdering someone else again.

“Good, meet me in Abby’s office in an hour. I need to inform Vance about this as well.” Gibbs picked up the file, tossed a few dollars on the table and exited at a brisk pace.

Fornell sighed. “It’s going to be a long week.” He paid for his own coffee and exited the diner as well. It was time to get to work.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

McGee looked up as the elevator dinged and Gibbs stepped out. He didn’t even notice his boss returning from MTAC.

“What do you have for me, McGee?” Gibbs came to a halt before his second in command’s desk.

“You’ve not given me everything, Boss. Why not?”

Gibbs smiled. And that was the reason why he worked so well with McGee. The younger man never took any shit from him, taking him on whenever he thought Gibbs was in the wrong.

“I’ve got my reasons.” Gibbs looked up as Director Vance appeared above him. “Take everything you’ve got and meet me at Abby’s lab in ten minutes.” He didn’t wait for a reply but nodded his head in the direction of Vance’s office.

McGee looked on as Gibbs took the stairs two at a time before he gathered everything he had and headed down. With luck Abby could tell him what was going on.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Tony tried to ignore the bad feeling at the pit of his stomach. Gibbs would call it his gut, and at the moment, his was screaming for him to get the hell out of there, but he couldn’t - he had a job to do. He tried to look over his shoulder, but the masses around him made it difficult to see and he felt himself being swept deeper into the crowd. The music was electrifying; his pulse beat in rhythm with the music as he swayed his hips and ground against the different bodies that surrounded him.

As the music changed, someone stepped in behind him and pulled him close. Tony’s first instinct was to tense up, but then his undercover training came into play and he relaxed against the body behind him.

“You smell fantastic,” the voice purred against his ear and Tony looked over his shoulder at the man behind him. He was middle-aged, but still well built. His hair color came out of a bottle, and even the color of his eyes seemed off.

 _‘Contact lenses’_ , Tony thought as he smiled at the comment. “Thank you.” He turned his body so that the two men rubbed up hard against one another. He was sure that this wasn’t his mark, but he still had to play it safe. They danced another two songs before the man took Tony’s hand and led him to a quiet spot in the far corner of the busy club. “Thanks for the time out in the middle”, he smiled and tried to step away. A hand snaked around his pulse and pulled him back.

“One drink with me, and then you can go.” The man held up his hands as Tony wanted to object. “I know I’m not your type, but you gave me great pleasure by dancing with me, let me buy you a drink to say thank you.”

Tony didn’t want to make a scene, not unless he wanted to take the risk and compromise himself. “One drink”, he smiled.

“Thank you”, the man smiled back and waited until Tony took a seat at the table before he spoke up again.

“What can I get you?”

“A water and a double whiskey please.” Tony ordered. The water would come sealed and that he would drink, the whiskey would just be for the show.

“Coming up.” The man disappeared into the crowd and Tony took the time to look for his mark. No one seemed to fit the description given to him. He really thought he would find the man here tonight; it looked like he would be coming back the next night. Tony looked up as his dance partner appeared next to him with their drinks in hand.

“Thanks,” Tony smiled as he picked the tumbler up and let the alcohol moisten his lips before he placed it down again. “Good stuff”, he smirked as he twisted the cap off the bottled water and took a deep swallow. It was cold and went down smoothly. He nearly drank half the bottle before he placed it back on the table.

“Let me guess, you’re heading out now?” The guy sounded down.

Tony nodded. “I am.” He didn’t give an explanation and came to his feet. Immediately the room spun and he had to grab the side of the table to keep himself from tumbling over.

“You all right?” The man reached out to touch him and Tony recoiled.

“Don’t touch me.” His words sounded slurred.

A sneer appeared on the man’s face. “Too late for that I would say.” He stepped closer to Tony and dragged their bodies together. “You won’t last long, so let me help get you out of here.”

Tony tried to push the man away, but his movements were clumsy and he nearly fell over his own feet.

“Easy does it, let me help you.” An arm snaked around his waist, while the other held on to his wrist. It was the hand on his wrist that made him whimper. The man was wearing gloves. They were so thin that Tony didn’t even notice it the first time. Whatever the man used on him, was on the gloves and gotten into his bloodstream through his skin. He could feel the tingle as the man clamped down harder on his wrist. Tony’s head spun, his tongue felt thick as the man led him out of the club. He was aware of the masses around them, but he was unable to call out, to get anyone’s attention. Within moments they were out of the club and the fresh air hit him hard. Tony gasped and tried to pull away, but the last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was a well-aimed fist coming towards his face and then there was nothing more.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

McGee couldn’t help but to pout. Abby knew something, but she wasn’t telling. She got that stubborn look in her eyes and never mind how long he pestered her, she remained silent. It seemed like he would have to wait for Gibbs to tell him why Detective DiNozzo called him ‘Boss’, it didn’t look as if he was going to find out by himself. He looked up from where he was working on Abby’s computer when Gibbs marched in, Agent Fornell on his heels.

“Abby, the Jane Doe case of 2002.” Gibbs instructed his forensic scientist. He saw the moment she blanched and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

“He’s back.” Abby whispered and bowed her head as Gibbs nodded his.

“It’s the same file you gave me this morning, Boss.” McGee spoke up. Something weird was going on and he had a feeling he didn’t know half of it.

“Oh dear,” Ducky’s voice sounded at the door as the old ME entered Abby’s lab. “I had to wonder why you called us all here, Jethro, but I didn’t expect this.” He took the file Tobias held out to him and sighed as his eye caught the stamp.

“Done in blood?” He had to know.

Fornell nodded his head.

Abby didn’t need to see what Ducky was talking about to move to the relevant photos in the file. The transgender symbol clearly visible against the pale skin of the Jane Doe victim.

Gibbs could see that his agent was confused. “Jane Doe was found on January 13, 2002 in a small alley just off the docks and near a club that later burned down. She was naked and to this day we are still unable to ID her. She became an NCIS case after it was established that she had sexual intercourse with a Private, hours before her death.” Gibbs paced the room.

“Private Jenkins was subsequently ruled out as a suspect after it was established that he was already back on board his ship when time of death occurred. He also couldn’t ID her as she told him her name was Candy. He did confirm that she was a prostitute. Another six bodies were found after hers was discovered. All of them between the ages of 20 and 27, blond or brunette colored hair. The last six victims were all enlisted service members of the Navy. Through our connection with the last victims, we took Jane Doe on as one of ours.” Gibbs looked up as the door to Abby’s lab opened up again and Agent Dorneget walked in, his arms filled with several filing boxes. Only when the agent deposited the boxes on the floor did Gibbs speak up again. “This serial killer left a unique calling card,” he indicated to the screen behind him. “This calling card was never made public knowledge, not even Agent Fornell knew about it.” He dragged his hand over his face. “And now it seems he’s back.”

“Why do you say so, Gibbs?” Timothy asked.

“Because of this, Timothy.” Ducky handed the file given to him by Fornell over to the young agent. “I have yet to see the body, but that mark on the body looks like the real thing.” He turned and faced Fornell. “I will be getting the body, I assume?”

“On its way, Doctor Mallard.”

“There’s one difference.” Abby spoke up.

Gibbs grunted. “It’s still him, Abby.” He didn’t want it to be, but the sooner they accept it, the sooner they could get this bastard.

Timothy frowned. He didn’t like the fact that he’d been working with Gibbs for two years and this was the first time he heard about this case. He couldn’t help but to feel a bit left out. “What’s the difference?” His voice sounded cold to himself and Abby must’ve noticed it as well as she frowned at him.

“This is the first time that the victim is male.” Ducky spoke up first. He looked at the people around the room, his eyes landed on McGee. “The other seven victims were all female, Timothy. And now, now he’s back and where we initially only had to concentrate on females in a specific age group with blond or brunette colored hair, now our pool of potential victims is larger in number than what is residing permanently here in Washington D.C.”

“Let’s get working, people.” Gibbs’ voice broke the silence that settled over the lab. He grabbed the first box and started unpacking the different files and exhibits. He used the clipboard Abby handed him to sign each piece of evidence keeping their chain intact as they worked. He ended up working next to McGee and looked at his junior agent. “Each agent has a case that he keeps close to his heart, McGee. I know you have one as well, although I do not know which one it is. I’m not going to explain to you why I never told you about this one, McGee, just know that now it’s our case and we need to solve it.”

Timothy felt like a probationary agent at that moment. He knew Gibbs didn’t have to explain anything to him. He accepted the chastising for what it was and carried on. “What was the period of time between each killing?”

“This killer of ours is extremely meticulous, Timothy.” Ducky spoke up. “Except for our Jane Doe, each of our other victims died exactly thirteen days apart. The problem was that he had held them for longer than that.” He handed a folder to Timothy and continued to talk. “Allison Sheppard was our second victim. When we identified her, she’d been missing for three months. Up until the moment she died she’d been tortured in some of the most horrendous ways I’ve seen in my life.” He indicated to the file. “All of my recordings are noted down there, I’m not going to repeat them.”

“Janet Harrington was our third victim; she was thought to have deserted her post as she had a difficult time in the Corps. She was missing for four months when her body was found.” Abby was the one who gave the information on their third victim.

McGee frowned at the information. “She was then abducted first.”

Ducky shook his head. “No, that would be the last victim we found.” He looked up at the screen as her photo popped up. “Caroline Bennet was missing for six months and once again killed within thirteen days of the second last victim Eliza Cannington, she was gone for five months.”

Timothy looked at the different faces Abby brought up on the screen. “Each one was taken a month apart. He had to have a large enough place to keep them all without drawing any attention to him or to the place.” He turned to Ducky. “Did he feed them?”

Ducky nodded. “All of them had some sort of digested substance in their stomach. In each instance, I did find long grain rice.”

Timothy picked up the thinnest file of the lot, their newest victim and the first male. “For six months he terrorized us and then he disappeared?”

“Yes,” Gibbs replied. After a year of not getting any new cases Gibbs wondered if their killer moved to somewhere else. Nothing turned up on any of the searches he conducted. After some years he decided to believe that their monster was dead.

“So he either moved away, got picked up for something and locked away for this period of time, or…” McGee caught Gibbs’ eye. “Or, he captured our latest victim then and held him until now.” The mere thought of that made McGee shiver.

“Being held captive for ten years?” Abby shook her head, but already her fingers were gliding over the keyboard. She already had a program running looking for a match in the system for missing persons, but the program always started from those who were missing for days and finally those who were missing for years, even decades. She had just entered the parameters for the new search when the computer peeped with a possible match. All six persons turned to the screen.

“Lieutenant Commander Liam Remington disappeared almost eleven years ago here in Washington.” Abby pulled up his file and read from the screen. “He was supposed to report as junior attaché at the British High Commission, but he never showed up. A nationwide search was done, but nothing was found. It was as if he disappeared from the surface of the earth.”

Gibbs frowned. “Why don’t I know about the case?”

“It was handled by Pacci’s team.” Abby called up the file on the big screen. Gibbs looked at the information as Fornell spoke up.

“He had Remington before he took any of the other victims.” Fornell shook his head. “What’s going on here?”

“That we’ll have to figure out, Tobias.” Gibbs made Abby send the information to Vance’s attention. He knew they had to keep a lid on this. If the media got hold of it, they would have a circus on their hands. His gut turned, something was about to go horribly wrong and he had no idea what it was.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

**24 Hours later**

Timothy yawned hard and rubbed his hand tiredly over his scratchy eyes. They’d been working non-stop trying to find a connection between their victims, aside from the Navy connection. Excluding Jane Doe. She was the key to all of this, but they had no idea where to start with her. “They were all found approximately in the same place.” He spoke to no one in particular. He stood up and brought up the area map of where the seven original bodies were found. He then added LT Commander’s body to the map. His body was found in the exact spot as their Jane Doe. “He was supposed to be the first. She messed up everything.” He looked up and found Gibbs staring at him. “What if she saw the kidnapping and he couldn’t let her go? He’s a stickler for rules, that’s why he had to place her where he would’ve dumped Remington’s body. She was a sort of a placeholder. It’s like when you grab the first thing available to mark the place in your book. That’s the reason why she doesn’t fit the pattern; she was not part of it.”

McGee’s reasoning was sound and it made perfect sense. “Good job, McGee.” He knew a fresh pair of eyes would see things they didn’t. It still saddened him that they had to add another body before they could figure it out, but it was a step in the right direction.

“Why were the rest of them, then females and Remington the only male?” Abby spoke up as she got up from where she was seated on the floor and stretched hard.

Timothy blanched. “What if they’re all place holders?” He held up his hand as Abby, Ned and even Ducky all started speaking at the same time.

“The club. It was a gay club, even though those who frequented it could’ve been from any sexual orientation, hence the transgender stamp used for entrance purposes. But it was still primarily gay.” Timothy turned. “What if each of the other women represents a man and that the killing of our Jane Doe caused a mind shift in our killer that made him choose women for place holders. It will also explain why he didn’t keep them so long; they were not really what he wanted; what he needed.”

“Are you saying he’s got another six men that he’s holding captive and at least for the last ten years, if not longer?” Tobias found it difficult to comprehend.

Timothy shook his head. “I can’t say, Agent Fornell. I don’t know.”

“We need to find out what Remington’s sexual orientation was.” Gibbs indicated to McGee. “Take Dorneget with you, find out what you can.”

“On it, Boss.” McGee grabbed his jacket and made a beeline for the door. It was their only lead. He could only hope that his instinct was right and that they were not barking up the wrong tree.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Tony gasped for air as he returned to the world of consciousness. For a moment he had no idea where he was, but then all of his memories flooded back. He balked at the bindings that held him captive, turning his head around, looking for the man who managed to capture him. The space he was in was clearly lit and empty. The adrenaline flushed through his system and Tony used it to his advantage to see if he could get himself free. He tucked and pulled on the ropes, he could feel the nylon fibers cutting into his skin. The droplets of blood grew more and he rubbed his wrists hard, ignoring the pain that flared up and tried to rob him of his breath. If he couldn’t get the rope undone, he could get his wrists slippery enough, dislocate his thumb, pull his one hand out of the bindings and then get his other hand free. Tony knew he was working against time; he had no idea how long he had before the man who took him came back.

Tony grunted out in relief as he finally worked his hand free. His wrist was bleeding badly and his dislocated thumb ached but he was getting there. He knew it would be better to push the thumb back again and then to untie himself, but he was working against the clock so he struggled on. He could feel the sweat drip down the side of his face and the blood down his wrist. None of it slowed him down and he nearly yelled out as the rope gave way and he had both his hands free. He took the time to push the thumb back in place, biting hard into his bottom lip from screaming out loud. His hand felt numb, it was clearly swollen and he knew he wouldn’t even be able to make a fist for a few days. The ropes around his feet were easily dealt with and he came hesitantly to his feet. Tony swayed dangerously and he steadied himself. When the head rush seemed to have past he looked around. There was not a thing in the room he could use as a weapon, and as he was undercover, he had none of his own weapons with him. His hands rested on his belt. “Rule #9, Boss.” Tony had learned that one early from Gibbs, but then sighed in disappointment. He had removed the small knife as it would’ve set off the alarm system at the club. The only weapons he had was his hands and his feet. Slowly he made it to the door and looked at it. The hair at the back of his neck bristled. “This is too easy.” He mumbled to himself as he tried the knob and found the door unlocked.

“Watch out for a trap, DiNozzo.” Tony talked to himself as he eased the door open and found a set of stair going up. The stairs were made of concrete so he didn’t need to worry about them creaking underneath his feet. Slowly he made his way up and halted in front of a second door. He pressed his ear against the door, but couldn’t hear a thing. “Here goes nothing,” he whispered again and tried to knob. Once again the door was unlocked. He stepped through, listening for any sound; there were none.

He seemed to be in some sort of living room and as he gave another step he heard something click and before he even could react he was surrounded by pitch black darkness. Tony had no idea what to do, he knew he could move at least three steps forward without bumping into something, but then he would be at the entrance to the next room and he had no idea how the layout looked. He still dropped to his knees, making himself a smaller target. As he was about to shuffle forward a voice spoke up to his left side.

“You’re the fastest still. But surely you didn’t think it would be that easy.” The voice came closer and Tony tried to move silently away, but the footsteps followed him easily.

 _‘Night vision goggles’_. Tony thought to himself and knew he was screwed. Tony knew he had to act and even before his abductor could give another step forward, Tony leaped to his feet and charged blindly forward. Too late, he heard the sound of a Taser gun as the duel line made contact with his skin and rendered him unable to do anything as shockwave upon shockwave crashed into him.

“Going to have so much fun with you”, was the last thing Tony heard before he once again lost consciousness and knew nothing more.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

“Remington was gay,” Timothy reported as he and Dorneget entered the bullpen a few hours later. He placed a cup of hot coffee on Gibbs’ desk, handed Fornell one, and gave Abby her Caf-Pow. “It was confirmed by his sister. She found out after his disappearance when she went through his stuff and found some old magazines and DVDs.”

Gibbs nodded at the news. It still didn’t bring them closer to the identity of their killer, but it was a start at least. “Trace the witnesses that were there on the night of the inferno.” He ordered the two agents as he gathered his own weapon and shield. “Call me if you find something.” He indicated for Fornell to follow him and the two senior agents made their way to the elevator.

“Where are we going, Gibbs?” Tobias asked as they entered the metal box to take them to the ground floor.

“Going to speak to the owner of the club, hopefully he can remember something.” He pulled out the service photo of Remington he placed in his pocket. “He looked like, Tony.”

Fornell looked at the photo and had to agree with his best friend. Both men had the same shade of hair, lively green eyes and a glint that spoke of mischief. “Where is Tony?”

Gibbs’ shoulders sagged. “Undercover, again.”

“Ah,” Fornell nodded his head, but didn’t say a word further. Now he understood why Gibbs had been just that bit more difficult to work with, he was worried about the one man he loved more than he loved life.

“Are you saying I’m grumpy?” Gibbs asked gruffly.

“I didn’t say a word, Jethro, but if the shoe fits.” Fornell shrugged his shoulders. “He’ll be back soon, he always is.”

Gibbs sighed. “He’s thinking of retiring, Tobias. Says he had enough.”

Tobias grinned. He was well aware of the private lifestyle Gibbs lead. “He ready to become your boy 24/7?”

Gibbs barked out a laugh. “That will never happen, Tobias. He will drive himself and me up the walls if he attempts that. We still need to talk about all of it.”

“You’ll work it out.” Fornell slapped Gibbs on his shoulder. The rest of the trip was made in comfortable silence.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Matt Stander looked up as the dark sedan stopped in front of his house. He sighed as he realized who it was. He wiped his hands and stepped out of his garage to meet the visitors in the driveway. “Agent Gibbs”, he greeted the older man, but didn’t reach out to shake his hand.

“Mr. Stander”, Gibbs greeted back and turned to introduce Fornell.

Stander nodded his head in a greeting and turned his attention back to the NCIS agent. “I still can’t tell you more than what I could the first time around, Agent Gibbs.”

Gibbs reached for the photo in his pocket. “Some new evidence came to light; I’m hoping it will jog your memory.” He handed the photo over to Stander. “Do you recognize this man?”

Stander’s knees buckled at the sight. “Liam,” his hands trembled as he looked at the photo. “Why are you showing me this?”

“You know this man?” Gibbs responded with a question of his own.

Stander nodded his head slowly. “Yes, Liam and I were friends.” He blushed slightly.

“You were lovers.” Gibbs replied and he looked on as Stander’s nodded in agreement. “For how long?”

Stander looked long at the photo before he answered. “We were together for almost two years. Of course it was all in secret, none of our families knew, but we loved one another.” He snorted and handed the photo back to Gibbs. “Or I thought he loved me, turned out I was wrong.”

“Why do you say that?” Fornell asked.

“He got a new position with the British High Commission. We spent our last night together at the club and said he would contact me when he was settled on the other side.” Stander sighed. “I heard nothing from him again. I tried to contact him, but with no success. Finally, I accepted it that he used me and I moved on.”

“How long before the club burned down did you see him the last time?” Gibbs had to make sure of their timeline.

“Two months. The day of the fire was the first day I didn’t try some way of getting hold of him. After battling with the fire and all of the questions, I just couldn’t take it anymore.” He looked up at Gibbs. “Are you saying Liam had something to do with the fire? He killed those women?” Stander shook his head. “Never, I don’t know why he never contacted me again, but Liam didn’t set fire to the club, he didn’t kill those women.”

Gibbs knew he reached the stage in his job that he hated the most, and this time around, it wouldn’t be any better. “I know Lt. Commander Remington was not responsible for setting fire to the club, or for murdering those women.” He took a deep breath and told the man he got to see at least once a year for the last ten years what had happened to his lover. When Stander stumbled to his knees, Gibbs placed a comforting hand on the weeping man’s shoulder and all that he could think of was Tony. He could only hope that Tony was all right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another 24 hours later**

“Abby, you need to agree with me, this Major Mass Spec of yours is much more advanced than the one we had ten years ago. Therefore, I think it would be a good thing to redo all of the trace element tests again. Maybe we can pick up something new through that.” Timothy reasoned with his teammate. Abby initially bucked against the idea, but now it looked like she was considering it hard. He sighed as she finally nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” he kissed her on the forehead and handed her the first sample for retesting. He was planning to use the results in an algorithm to pinpoint where the victims might have been. Timothy only hoped that it would work.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Gibbs frowned at the phone in his hand. It had been almost three days and he hadn’t heard a word from Tony. It just wasn’t like his boy not to make a plan to make contact. Tony had some original ways to let him know he was all right. From a quick call which would be a wrong number, to a pizza delivered at work with all of his favorite toppings. But this time there was nothing.

“Just call his handler; you’re making everyone wither around you with your grouchiness.” Fornell spoke to Gibbs’ as he found his friend staring at his phone once again.

Gibbs grunted in response but didn’t move an inch.

It was Tobias turn to growl. He swiped the phone out of Gibbs’ hand and scrolled down until the name read **TH101**. He pressed the call button and slapped the phone back in Gibbs’ open palm. “Talk to the guy”. Tobias growled again as he got to his feet to give Gibbs a chance to make the call.

Gibbs looked shaken as first Tobias took his phone and then slapped it back in his hand. He could hear the phone ring and before he could chicken out, he pressed it against his ear. He waited for the phone to be answered and started to talk when he got through. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’VE GOT NO IDEA WHERE HE IS?” He shouted as he leapt to his feet. “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP TABS ON HIM, NOT FUCKING LOSE HIM ON THE FIRST NIGHT!” He was livid as he threw the phone against the wall and looked on as it shattered in several useless pieces.

Fornell stood shocked at Gibbs’ outburst. He wasn’t surprised to see Doctor Mallard appear next to him. Someone must’ve phoned the morgue the moment Gibbs started to scream. “Jethro”, Ducky closed the distance between them. “Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to calm down a bit. You do not want to die of a heart attack right here and now.”

Gibbs actually growled at his oldest friend, but Ducky didn’t move an inch.

“You don’t scare me, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Now calm down and tell me what is wrong so that we can help.” Ducky managed to push Gibbs back into his chair. He ignored the agents that gathered around them.

Gibbs gulped for air. The normally stoic man was beyond reasoning. The last time he felt like this was when he heard about Shannon and Kelly’s death. He knew he had to get his breathing under control or he might risk passing out and he couldn’t afford that. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes for a second, centering himself. He finally opened them up and looked at Ducky. “Tony failed to make contact with his handler for the last seventy-two hours, Duck. They have no idea where he is.”

Ducky felt his own breathing hitch at the news. It was no wonder that Jethro had worked himself up in such a way. He couldn’t help but to think of the Lt. Commander that now occupied one of the drawers downstairs. “We’ll find him, Jethro. We’ll find your boy.” Ducky hoped the words didn’t sound as hollow as they sounded to his own ears. His eyes locked with Fornell. Both men knew that without a doubt that if something happened to Tony, Gibbs would not survive.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

“Boss, I have something.” Timothy called out as Gibbs stepped into the bullpen. He was instructed by Gibbs to find everything he could about Detective DiNozzo’s latest undercover assignment and since the PD refused to cooperate, McGee used his computer skill in _acquiring_ the information they were looking for. Even as Gibbs walked towards him, McGee started to talk. “It looks like Detective DiNozzo was sent undercover to get close to this man.” A photo appeared on the plasma screen. “Primo Diaz, a self-made millionaire who is rising up in the drug cartel business. He had started moving his product into the country and it was decided to get someone on the inside and take Diaz and his whole organization down.”

“What do we know about the man?” Gibbs moved to stand before the large screen.

“He’s forty years old, both parents died in a vehicle accident and he has no siblings. It’s rumored that he was responsible for the crash which claimed the lives of his parents.” Timothy flicked the remote and several newspaper articles appeared on the screen. “He hides behind charity causes, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes even millions to organizations, while on the other hand his drug empire becomes bigger each day. He’s described as charismatic but with a violent temper. He’s also fluent in several languages, including, Spanish, Italian, English and Mandarin Chinese.” Timothy cleared his throat. “He’s also into men.” Several photographs appeared once again. “He loves them tall, with brown hair and green eyes.” He actually took a step back when he heard Gibbs growl. He knew he was missing something and he had a feeling it had to do with DiNozzo and Gibbs. Timothy mentally slapped himself. It couldn’t be - he’d seen Gibbs flirt with more than one red head before and then there were his ex-wives – three if he didn’t count wrong. Surely there was nothing between Gibbs and the detective.

Gibbs took a deep breath and calmed down. “Where is Diaz now?” He had to concentrate on finding out where Tony was, he couldn’t afford to lose it now.

“He was supposed to be in DC this weekend, but from what I can gather he’s still in France. He had to undergo an emergency appendectomy Sunday evening.”

Gibbs gut turned. If Tony wasn’t picked up by his mark, someone else had gotten to him and now he had no idea where his lover was. “Where was he supposed to get in contact with Diaz?”

McGee quickly scanned the information he managed to retrieve. “An exclusive club in the middle of town by the name of Thirteen. According to what I’ve heard even celebrities have difficulty in getting in without a prior invite.”

Gibbs snorted. Tony would get in within a minute. It was just another reason why he was picked for this assignment; it was almost as if this was personally written for him. Something else struck him as odd. “Find me a connection with this club and the Smoking Hot club that burned down.”

“Thirteen”, Timothy looked up at Gibbs. “That’s what’s got you so bothered. The number thirteen keeps on popping up everywhere.”

“Find out why, McGee.” Gibbs took the stairs up to the mezzanine level to update Vance. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a connection with their serial killer and Tony’s newest assignment. They just had to find out what it was and by the way his gut was acting, they had to do it soon.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Tony couldn’t help but to scream as the Taser gun once again was discharged just on the underside of his ribs, making him tremble as the electrical stream travelled through his body. The moment the device was withdrawn his body crumbled and he sagged against the ropes that held him upright. He breathed hard and struggled to get enough oxygen into his body. He started to cough which turned into dry heaves. Tears and snot marred his face. Both his eyes were swollen shut, his nose skew as his capturer decided to break it when Tony talked back.

He tried to block out the string of insults aimed toward him, but it was difficult as the man continued with one after another. “Fucking faggot cannot even take a bit of a beating. Screaming like a real girl with wet panties. Fucking sorry excuse for a man.” A fist to his solar plexus accentuated the last statement, robbing Tony again of his breath. The man’s tone of voice changed. It became higher and he spoke slower as well.

“But, don’t worry. Not all is lost - I will save you. You’ll see, everything will be all right. I will help you, I promise.” He leaned forward and stroked Tony’s face with his hand before he moved back again. “Liam showed such good potential, he did great, but he failed, he failed and I had to get rid of him. He left me no choice; there is no place for failure. NEVER!” He yelled out the last word and then struck Tony with his fists repeatedly. He didn’t stop until Tony was unconscious, only then did he step away. He was breathing hard and whimpered. “Look at what you made me do! I didn’t want to hurt you, but you need to learn!” He yelled at Tony again before he stormed out and slammed the basement door behind him, leaving Tony strung up and alone.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Timothy looked at the new test results Abby emailed to him run on her mass spectrometer and grinned. It was a lot more detailed than the initial test done all those years ago. He brought up some searches he started earlier and fed in the information he now had to see where the trace evidence might lead them. If he could narrow the search grid, they’d have a better chance in finding the serial killer’s hidey-hole. With that done, he turned his attention to the next task. He’d managed to obtain a complete list of employees of the burned down club, as well as a list from the new club. He was busy crosschecking to see if there were any links between the two clubs. He’d been at it for hours, and he was still coming up with nothing. He did not lose hope - there had to be a connection, they just needed to find it.

He was feeling desperate and started going through the different social security numbers to see if he could pick up anything _hinky_. Timothy knew he was grasping at straws, but he had to try something.

All of the employees of Smoking Hot checked out. He managed to verify each employee with an SSN number and except for one man. He didn’t even manage to find a current address for him. McGee thought nothing of it. Nothing popped up that was out of the ordinary for any of the rest. For a moment he wanted to give up, but then he remembered one of Gibbs’ rules and he pushed forward. McGee hit the jackpot when he checked the employees of club Thirteen. He nearly missed it, but when he spotted it, he had to recheck it to make sure and then a smile appeared on his face.

“Boss, I’ve got something!” He shouted out and looked up only to realize that he was the only one in the bullpen. He frowned as he realized just how quiet it had become and as he looked at his watch, he noticed it was long after midnight. He didn’t even realize that the time passed from one day into the next.

Timothy rubbed at his eyes tiredly, stood up and stretched his legs. He had to clear his head. Now that he had a potential lead and suspect, he had to make sure that all of his ducks were in a row and quacked the same tune. He sat down again and pulled all of the information he had on a man by the name of Adrian Doom, social security number 842-59-6173. He was the only one that didn’t seem to have a current address. He placed the man’s DMV photo on the plasma screen and checked for any prior convictions. He pulled bank records and previous employment records as well as any school records. He did a social media search, but that turned out to be fruitless. On paper it seemed like Doom was a law-abiding citizen except that his documentation hadn’t been updated for the past ten years, a number that made Timothy uneasy.

On the split screen, he brought up the photo of Damion Road. The two men’s bone structure looked similar. Doom was light in complexion while Road was darker. Road had green eyes and dirty blond hair. Doom’s hair was dark brown and he had brown eyes, but both men sported the same beauty mark on their chin, just a bit to the left. If one didn’t see them together, the similarities would go unnoticed. It was something small and of no evidentiary value, unless it could make or break the case. Tim had a feeling in their instance, it would make their case. It was their names and social numbers however, that spoke volumes. Damion Road’s name was an anagram of Adrian Doom’s name. It did happen, but not often, that duplicate social numbers were issued. It was quite possible to find someone whose social security number differed by one digit with another’s, whether it might be the last digit or any of the others. What made Timothy take note was the fact that the two men’s social security numbers were the same in reverse. It wasn’t something that was picked up easily, but with having been diagnosed as having dyslexia while he was still at school, Tim spotted it immediately. This wasn’t a coincidence. What sealed the deal for Timothy that they were indeed the same person was that it seemed Road didn’t exist except on paper.

McGee grinned from ear to ear. He now only had to find a current address for the mysterious Road and they would have a tangible lead on their serial killer. Knowing there was nothing else he could do at this time of night, he logged off, switched off the desk lamp and made his way out of the building.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Gibbs took another swallow of his bourbon as he stared at the half-built boat that filled his basement. His gut kept on turning. Knowing that DiNozzo had gone off the grid didn’t help to ease the unrest he felt within.

The glass tumbler hit the wall with a crashing sound, sending liquid and shards of glass in every direction. They were missing something crucial, but he had no idea what it was. It was as if they were flying blind. His heart told him to search for Tony, his head told him to follow up on their serial killer; they need to find the man before another body appeared.

Gibbs left the mess as it was, reached for his phone and headed back up the stairs. He couldn’t sit and do nothing. He had to find Tony; there he at least had an idea where his boy was supposed to be last.

The first problem Gibbs encountered was in gaining entry into the club. He couldn’t believe how busy the place still was and it was nearly three in the morning. The line for entry snaked around the building. Gibbs ignored the line and made his way to the front.

“Seniors’ night is not tonight, old man!” Someone shouted from the back and Gibbs ignored the snarky remark directed at him. Instead, he focused his attention on the burly bouncer that filled the doorway that lead into the club. He took out his badge and held it for the man to see. He didn’t say a word, but relied on his trusted Gibbs stare to do the thing. He didn’t have to wait long and was waved through. The last thing he heard before his senses were assaulted by the loudest music he’d ever heard was the same asshole yelling out that he also had a badge.

Gibbs had to admit the interior of the club was not something he’d ever expected. It had a classic look to it, but still felt modern. He couldn’t see any hidden dark spots. Two bars lined the opposite sides of the club making it less crowded for those who went to fetch something to drink. Gibbs noted another bouncer and he made his way over to the man. This time he had to use his voice as showing his badge wouldn’t have worked. The bouncer looked at his badge for a long time before he mumbled something in his com and within moments, a second security officer arrived and indicated to Gibbs to follow him.

They ascended to a second level through a well-hidden flight of stairs where a door opened and Gibbs entered. It was a state of the art surveillance room. A man greeted him who looked to be about his age, smartly dressed in what looked like a very expensive suit. “Patrick Hamilton, Head of Security. What can I do you for you, Agent…?”

“Gibbs.” Gibbs took out his badge again and showed it to the man.

Hamilton frowned. “NCIS? What would the Navy Criminal Investigative Service want with us?”

Gibbs was impressed that the man knew what NCIS stood for, but he kept his face blank. “I’m looking for this man. It was rumored that he was in here a few nights back.” He took out a photo of Tony. It was a mug shot - one that Tony gave him as a joke.

Hamilton frowned. “Why do you want him?”

“He’s a suspect in an ongoing NCIS investigation.” Gibbs kept it short.

“And let me guess, if we don’t cooperate you will make life difficult for us.” Hamilton made the comment with a smile. “I served in the Corps as well, many years ago, but I’m still loyal. Let’s see what we can find out.” He turned to one of the technicians behind him and within minutes, Gibbs had access to past few days’ video footage. Hamilton took the photo placed it on something Gibbs sort of recognized as a scanner and with a few clicks, a facial recognition software program started working. It took a few minutes, but then Tony’s face appeared on the large screen to his left.

“He was here almost four nights ago.” Hamilton displayed several photos of Tony dancing on the main floor. It looked like he was waiting for someone. Someone, Gibbs knew, never showed up.

“At what time did he leave and did he leave alone?” Gibbs asked, his eyes glued to the screen with Tony’s image enlarged on it.

“Let’s see.” Hamilton ran the footage until they saw Tony exiting the club. He looked unsteady on his feet and he was leaning heavily on another man who made sure to keep his face hidden from any possible camera angle.

Gibbs wanted to scream out of frustration. He knew Tony. He knew that the detective would never get drunk while undercover, it didn’t matter what kind of op it was. He was skilled enough to fake it, but from what Gibbs could see in the footage, Tony wasn’t faking it. He was unaware of the fact that he growled.

“I assume this is not what you wanted to see?” Something in Hamilton’s voice made Gibbs realize that the man knew on some level that he was not there on official NCIS business.

“The guy he’s with, we won’t find a single shot of him facing the cameras.” Gibbs made it a statement.

Hamilton used the playback button on the equipment and followed Tony’s movements backwards until he met up with the strange man for the first time. Both men looked on as Tony danced with the man, how they left the dance floor and how they touched before the stranger went to buy them drinks. Not once was there a clear view of his face.

“Do you recognize him?”

Hamilton shook his head. “Sorry, he doesn’t look familiar, but then again we get about up to six hundred people in here on any given night. I don’t know everyone.” He cocked his head. “He does look familiar, but I can’t place him. I would have to think about it.”

Gibbs knew he found more than what he bargained for. He pulled out a business card and handed it over to Hamilton. “If you remember something about that guy call me and if the first guy shows up, call me as well.”

Hamilton made the promise and Gibbs exited the club. He wasn’t surprised to find Tony’s police handler waiting for him on the outside. “If it’s not important for you to know where you undercover agent is, then it’s your problem. I’ll look for him and I’ll find him. Hopefully he’s safe.” He brushed past the man, ignoring him. He got into the Challenger and sped off. He would play nice with the police on another day, until then they could go fuck themselves. Gibbs had more pressing issues to consider. Tony didn’t leave the club out of his own free will, someone had taken his boy and he had no idea where they went. Something nagged at the back of his mind. It was as if there had to be a connection between their serial killer and Tony’s disappearance, but he had no idea how to prove it. For all they knew, Primo Diaz had a hand in Tony’s disappearance. They would have to investigate every angle. Now was not the time to jump to conclusions. They had to work with the facts.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Timothy awoke with a gasp. Even before he could catch his breath, he was out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, phone in his hand. “Abby, Abby”, he had to repeat the scientist name as she was still dazed and confused as the call awoke her just after four in the morning.

“Listen to me, I need you to meet me at the office ASAP, I think our serial killer might have Detective DiNozzo.” He didn’t give the Goth time to reply, but ended the call and jumped into the shower. He should’ve thought about it earlier. It was just too great of a coincidence for their possible serial killer to have worked at two gay clubs and have them both vanish after reportedly being either at the Smoking Hot club and at club Thirteen. He needed to find out where Adrian Mood or Damian Road stayed. He had a feeling that with Abby’s help they’d be able to use the trace elements to lead them right to a possible hiding place.

Timothy didn’t even bother to button up his shirt, as he grabbed his service pistol, badge and keys and headed out of his apartment. He had no idea if his gut was wrong, but he knew Gibbs trusted his, and he needed to learn how to trust his own.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Gibbs found it strange that both McGee’s car and Abby’s hearse were parked in their usual spots. He made his way up to the bullpen and even as the elevator doors opened, his junior agent was already talking to him.

“Slow down, McGee you’re not making sense.” Gibbs frowned as Timothy overwhelmed him with information on trace evidence, possible hidey-holes, and something about DiNozzo. That made him stand up straight and take notice.

McGee took a deep breath and started over. “Last night, or this morning, I’m not sure, I was grasping at straws when I started to check social security numbers of the different clubs’ employees. I found something _hinky_ , Boss.” McGee turned his attention to the screen behind them and quickly explained what he’d found.

Gibbs was impressed. He always knew the young agent was good and what he did, now, once again it was proven. Before he could ask what Abby was doing there, the Goth spoke up.

“We also used the trace elements found on the different victims and with a bit of trouble we found out that Doom or then Road’s hidey-hole might be somewhere in here.” She brought up a map and indicated to a specific area. “We’re already running a search to see what kind of buildings are there, who the owners are and hopefully we’ll be able to track our killer down that way.”

“Good work, you two.” Gibbs stood before the screen and watched it intently. “What’s this?” He indicated to a sort of an industrial area on the map.

“It’s labelled as a factory. We’re still trying to find more details on what’s going on there.”

“He’s there.” Gibbs felt positive. “Find out everything you can, McGee. We’re going in there as soon as you get the intel. Be ready for anything, but especially a hostage rescue situation.” Gibbs didn’t wait for the reply, but pulled out his phone. He had to fill Vance in and he had to get Tobias involved.

Timothy blanched, it seemed like his hunch was correct and that their serial killer had Detective DiNozzo. He had no idea how Gibbs knew that the detective would be there. “How does he do that?” Timothy couldn’t help but to wonder aloud.

“He’s Gibbs.” was the reply Timothy got from Abby as she bowed her head and tried to obtain more information on the factory. She worked with Gibbs far too long. She had long ago accepted the fact that he knew stuff that other people didn’t.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

Tony howled in pain as the pressure of the pliers increased around the index finger on his left hand. When the newest round of torture started Tony mouthed off again, it was what he did best, but this time his still unnamed host broke out the heavy machinery in the form of two different sets of pliers, a lead baseball bat which he already used on Tony’s ribs. There was a hammer and a thin Phillips head screwdriver. His screams filled the space in which he was held when the bone finally snapped underneath the pressure. Now the only finger on his left hand not broken was his thumb.

“Still a pussy, I see. You need to embrace the pain. You need to man up! Stop being a bitch about it.”

Tony finally got his breath back. “If you’re so _manly_ then let’s switch positions. Show me how it’s done.” Tony lifted his head in defiance.

“No, no. I am a man - I don’t screw other men. I love women – real women.” The man grabbed hold of Tony’s right hand and even before Tony could realize what he was planning his little finger was snapped.

“FUCK!” Tony yelled in rage. “You’re not a man, you’re a fucking coward. The only reason why you’re doing this while I’m tied up, is because you’re too scared. Scared that because I love men, I’ll take you down and then? What would that say about you?” Tony managed to sneer. “You know what I think? I think you’re in denial. You’re so deep within your own fucking closet to admit what you truly feel. You’re not a man; you’re just a poor fucking coward.” Tony struggled to breathe. The pain in his chest was becoming nearly unbearable. He had a feeling he was running out of time, but he wouldn’t give up. He would keep on fighting until his last breath.

“I am a man, I am! I don’t sleep with men; I don’t let them defile my body! I’m pure. I am the provider; I am the head of the household! Stop trying to fill my head with your filthy lies!” Tony’s tormentor cast the pliers to the side and reached for the hammer.

Tony could do nothing but to look on. The instant the hammer made contact with his ankle Tony knew he was going to die. Even as he screamed out in pain again, he knew the man would not stop until he was dead. Out of reflex, Tony closed his eyes as the man lifted up the hammer again. In his mind’s eye he could see it swing low, striking him somewhere on his body, but the second strike didn’t come, instead the space filled with an echo of a gunshot and Tony’s eyes snapped open. He was in time to see the man who held him captive, who caused him so much pain, sink to his knees with a stunned expression in his eyes. He was dead even before he reached the ground.

Tony was aware of people running around, but everything became too much and he started to shiver uncontrollably. His head hung deep between his shoulders as he tried to get his breathing under control. Tony jumped as a hand came to rest on his shoulder.

“Easy, Detective. It’s just me.” McGee’s voice sounded in his ear. “We’ll have you out of here in no time.” McGee turned. “We need the EMTs in here and fast!”

“Gibbs?”

“Right here, boy. I’m right here.” Gibbs spoke up next to Tony’s head.

Tony turned his face and smiled before his eyes turned over and he lost consciousness with the world.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

**2 Hours prior**

“It took some digging, Gibbs, but we struck gold.” McGee spoke up as Gibbs reentered the bullpen with Tobias and another FBI agent short on his heels. He wasn’t surprised to see Director Vance coming towards them as well.

“What did you find, McGee?” Gibbs asked as he took his place in front of the plasma screen.

“Our perp’s name is indeed Adrian Doom. We managed to track down his birth certificate and found out why he disappeared off the grid. Doom was raised in a very conservative home. Not very religious per se, but the man was the head of the house, the wife stayed home and cooked. That sort of thing. Adrian is an only child and from what we could dig up, one who visited the emergency room frequently as a child due to his _clumsiness_. The few time social services or even the police tried to inquire, Mr. Doom always replied that it was his house and in his house, his rules were to be obeyed. Disobedience would not be tolerated and the necessary punishment would be dealt out should either his son or his wife committed a mishap.”

“Where did you find this out?” Fornell frowned.

Abby, who was slurping on a Caf-Pow answered. “Doom came from a very small and very _hinky_ town out in the west. We had to phone to get more information on him as their little town is still not computerized. The lady there was very helpful.”

Gibbs rolled his eyes. “What else, McGee and not the town gossip.”

“But Gibbs, if it wasn’t for the town gossip, we wouldn’t have found our final piece of evidence that brings everything together.” Abby pouted, but at the same time, she grabbed the remote from Gibbs’ hand and pointed it in the direction of the screen. “Adrian Doom and I have to say with a last name like that, I also might have become doomed.” She sighed. “The local expert in all things Doom told us that Adrian was always a very shy and obedient son. He tried his best, but didn’t like playing sports. Would rather sit in the library and read. Something that his father didn’t approve of, to say the least. It also seemed like Adrian only had one friend and unfortunately for him it wasn’t a girl, but a boy. According to our source, the two boys were very close, some would say too close. Of course, Mr. Doom, Sr. found out and he nearly beat his son to death. It was so bad that young Adrian was not seen for six months and when he was spotted again after that, he was changed. From our gossiper he was changed for the worse. He became rude and a bully. He also became something of a skirt chaser. But he never stuck long enough with one girl to start any relationship worth mentioning.”

“Get to the point, Abby.” Gibbs wasn’t in a mood for a long story.

“Okay, okay. Patience, Boss.” Abby clicked and showed a death certificate on the screen. “Adrian’s parents died close to each other. His mother first and a few months later his father. Adrian inherited everything. Including this property.” Abby flicked the remote and brought up the factory they were looking at. “What was strange was the fact that he inherited it from his mother’s side and it is still in her name, that’s why we couldn’t find anything on the place initially.”

“When did the parents die, Abigail?” Ducky asked as he joined the group while Abby explained everything.

“Ten years ago, Ducky.”

“And that is what the profilers call the stressor that changed him. The fact that his father was no longer there to control him, made him uncertain. His eyes might have wondered, or he might have developed feelings towards a man, which then led him to believe that he was evil and that made him kill. I still do not know what makes him tick, or why he kept Remington for so long, but he will be able to fill it all in for us when we catch him.” Ducky looked to the people surrounding him. “I would venture to say that he is a very unstable, Gibbs. You need to tread with caution.”

“Why did he disappear for ten years?” Fornell asked confused.

“The women he took, they were not place holders. Those women he took shut him down. Maybe they told him he wasn’t good enough for them and if he was persistent, they might even have told him they were lesbian. That would not have sat well with him and he might’ve tried to _cure_ them. Something that I think his own parents tried when he disappeared for so many months. Of course, all of his victims died and then he saw Remington and something happened.” Ducky took off his glasses, cleaned it with his handkerchief and placed it back on his nose. “He must’ve felt such a strong connection to Remington that he kept him for ten years until he finally snapped and killed him.”

“What about our Jane Doe? She was found in the exact position as Remington.” Abby spoke up.

“I believe she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Ducky replied.

“And the number thirteen?” Fornell inquired.

“Oh, we can answer that one.” Abby piped up. “It seemed like one of the little quirks Doom had while he grew up was the number thirteen. No one knew where the obsession came from.”

“That’s why he started working at Club Thirteen. To him it must’ve been some sort of sign.” Fornell nodded. They were getting into the man’s head and beginning to understand him better.

“If he has Tony, what will he do to him?” Gibbs asked, he heard the conversation that went on around him, but he had to know about Tony.

Ducky sighed and shook his head. “I have no idea what his state of mind is now that Remington is dead. I would say that Remington’s death might even be a secondary trigger for him and it might even make him more volatile. What I will say, is that if he has Tony then you need to get him out of there as soon as possible. Doom might not have the ability to control his anger and he could take it out on anyone.”

Gibbs blanched at the information. “What do we know of the layout of the factory, McGee?”

Timothy took the remote from Abby and brought up different maps. “Most of the factory is an open space, but a part has been converted into some sort of a house. From what we could gather through blue prints, the main structure was used as a frame for the house. It consists of about two stories and includes a basement. We’re not sure if the basement is on the ground level of the factory floor, or if it was dug out to create a real basement.”

“Entry points?” Gibbs asked, as he looked over the different maps available to them.

McGee explained in detail what he found out.

Gibbs nodded his head. “Make copies of these. We’re going in.” He looked at Tobias. “I don’t want to take in a whole assault team, pick one extra and then the five of us will go in. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

“We need a secondary team for the rest of the warehouse, Gibbs.” Tobias spoke up. “They will not be in your way and it will give us more time to concentrate on the living quarters.”

Gibbs grunted in reply. Tobias was right and he knew it.

“I’ll make sure there’s EMTs on standby, Gibbs.” Ducky wished it wasn’t necessary, but he had a feeling it would be.

Gibbs nodded his head in response, took out his firearm from his drawer, as well as his backup weapon and shield. He only gave McGee enough time to gather his own before he all but marched out of the bullpen. It was time to bring his boy home and to take a possible serial killer down.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

They approached the large factory with caution. The flimsy chain that locked the gate to the entrance of the property was dealt with silently and quickly. All had their Kevlar vests and their weapons at the ready. Gibbs took the lead, McGee behind Gibbs, the two FBI agents behind them and Fornell formed the rear. In his ear piece, Gibbs could hear the secondary team moving into position as they readied themselves to search the large space. When that team leader gave the order to move out, Gibbs used his lock-pick set to gain entry into the house. They were going in silently.

The ground floor turned out to be deprived of life. They found some sort of office filled with pages or writings that made little sense. They also found the transgender stamp, old blood still sticking to it, coloring it a dark brown. The top floor looked more lived in, but could still be classified as a pigsty.

Quietly they moved to down the stairs the divided the house from what was underneath. Gibbs pressed his ear against the door. When he heard nothing he nodded and they moved down the stairs. It was narrow and their flashlights only made light enough for them to see what was going on around them, the rest of the area stayed in the dark.

As they moved down and fanned out, McGee realized that they were indeed underneath the factory floor and that it was more like a bunker used during war than a basement. The engineering was impressive. He was about to take a step forward when a scream filled their ears. It turned him cold. It was a scream filled with anguish and he could feel it in his bones.

“Tony,” Gibbs whispered, but kept his position, still doing his job making sure that every little nook and cranny was cleared before they moved on. As they moved, they could hear raised voices and more screams.

They increased their speed until they finally reached a sort of corner space. It was still large, but had three walls and a large opening in front. They could make out Tony and the man tormenting him. Judging by the man’s build, they could reach the safe conclusion that they were indeed dealing with Doom. Gibbs indicated to Tobias and his men to circle around to the left; he and McGee went to the right. Gibbs couldn’t be help but to be impressed when he heard Tony yelling to the man that he was just a coward. By the tone in his boy’s voice, he knew Tony was in some serious pain and was nearing his end. His breathing sounded labored and that concerned Gibbs even more. For him as a layperson to notice Tony’s struggled breathing, he couldn’t fandom just how bad it actually must be.

Gibbs and McGee got into position just as Doom used the hammer on Tony’s ankle. At first, Gibbs wanted to call him out, to draw him away from Tony, but the man’s demeanor screamed total rage and Gibbs widened his stance and raised his pistol. “Make sure Tony is all right.” He ordered McGee and then pulled the trigger. His shot was true and even as the man tumbled to the floor, McGee had sprinted past him, his own firearm pointed at the now motionless body to check on Tony.

His lover looked bad. Gibbs tried to take in all the injuries, to make sure that he missed nothing when Tony’s voice pulled him closer. “Right here, boy. I’m right here.” Gibbs leaned in next to Tony’s head. McGee was cutting the ropes from his badly damaged wrists. Gibbs looked into Tony’s green eyes, and then his worst nightmare came true. “TONY!” Gibbs yelled as Tony smiled and then went limp in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs looked at his junior agent seated next to him. The man once again had his back, but this time he even took it a notch higher; he had Tony’s back as well. If it weren’t for McGee they still wouldn’t have found Tony and their serial killer would’ve still been out there. As his shot had been true, he had no suspect to interrogate. They still had to work through all of the writings they found at the factory to see if they could figure out what made Adrian Doom tick. However, that would only be later, for now he had to wait and hope. Hope that Tony made it through surgery; hope to see his lover again.

He got up from his seat and started to pace the room. They’d been waiting for almost three hours. Ducky had sent Abby out to go and get them all something to eat and drink. He was grateful for that. It kept Abby busy, which was a good thing. Gibbs knew that both Tobias and Ducky were looking at him, but at this stage, he couldn’t give a damn. He played with the phone in his pocket as if it was his lifeline to Tony and then he stopped. He remembered the text Tony sent him the day he went undercover. Gibbs took out the phone and opened the message. _'Remember to tell McShotty why I call you Boss, Boss. Ducky told me he asked. I don’t mind, I like him a lot.'_ Just looking at the text made him grin. He looked over to where McGee sat on the plastic chair awaiting news on Tony just as he was waiting.

“I owe you a story, Timothy.” He ignored Tobias’ remark that it was about time.

McGee frowned and then he remembered. “You don’t need to tell me, Gibbs. It was silly of me to ask.”

Gibbs snorted. “You aren’t curious at all?” He shook his head. “I promised to tell you, Timothy.” He took the seat that he vacated earlier and leaned back. He looked over to where Tobias sat behind him. “No commentary allowed from the peanut gallery.” He took a sip of his coffee and tried to focus on the story, while at the same time hoping that Tony would be all right.

Gibbs opened his mouth and then closed it. He had no idea where to start and it made him growl.

“Oh for heaven’s sake.” Ducky spoke up. “Start at the beginning.”

Tobias snorted. “I think that’s the problem Doctor Mallard, he’s not sure with which beginning to start.”

“Shut it, both of you.” Gibbs growled again. Of course, both his friends were correct. He knew he had to start at the beginning, but there was more than one beginning in this story. Seeing Abby coming their way, collar around her neck, parasol in her one hand and loads of coffee in the other and with the case they just worked on, he knew where to start.

“You know about the LGBT community.” He made it a statement and not a question. Not waiting for a reply he continued. “There is also another community out there, one which is more connected to the LGBT one in public, but which in truth are even more practiced in heterosexual relationships than within the LGBT community, or even in the gay community.” He saw the frown on Timothy’s face and hoped that he wasn’t making a mistake.

“I’m referring to the BDSM community, McGee.” By this time Abby reached them and she smiled. “You’re finally telling Timmy.” She hugged Gibbs hard. “Any word on Tony?”

“Still in surgery, Abbigail.” Ducky replied and pulled her to his side after she handed everyone their choice of drink. She sat down and waited for Gibbs to continue.

Gibbs sighed again and then pushed on. “I’m active in the BDSM community, Timothy. It’s my lifestyle which I practice 24/7.”

McGee was stunned at the news and couldn’t help but to blush. “Sorry, Boss. I just never thought you’d know about something like that.”

“And why not?”

“Mm”, Timothy’s eyes grew large and he looked over at Abby for help.

Abby couldn’t help but to smile. “I think he thought you’d be too old, Gibbs.”

This time Gibbs glared and Timothy looked away. “Sorry, Boss.”

“Never apologize, McGee, it’s a sign of weakness.” Gibbs quoted rule #6 and continued. “I am a Dominant; I assume you know what that is?”

Timothy decided to nod in response instead of answering. He’d learned a lot from Abby about the BDSM community, but was just very shocked to realize Gibbs not only knew about it, but also was active in it.

“Tony is my boy, he’s under my protection and I own him. He is my collard submissive and we’ve been together for the last three and a half years.” Gibbs explained. “We first met at a fetish club where he was in a bad situation with another man who called himself a Dom. He used his safe word and the man ignored it. I made sure the scene ended right there. Tony called me bossy and that’s how it started. So, instead of calling me Master all of the time, he calls me Boss as a sign of respect and that he belongs to me.”

“What about your ex-wives and all of the redheads?” Timothy couldn’t help but to ask.

“I’m bisexual, Timothy.” Gibbs indulged his agent in his questions. “As for the redheads, all of them are also in the scene; I would accompany them to events.” He didn’t elaborate, what happened there had nothing to do with anyone else.

Timothy cocked his head. “You are happy with your life, Gibbs. It’s clear that Tony makes you happy. I will say that I’m a bit disappointed that you’ve never told me about this before, or about Tony before, but I understand.” Tim realized that he really was fine with it.

Gibbs offered no explanation on why he didn’t tell his agent before. What mattered was that Timothy knew now, and that his agent had no problem with it. He knew Tony would also be happy with that news. He was, however, still worried about what chaos, Timothy and Tony would cause if they became good friends, and Gibbs was sure that they would become as thick as thieves. Already he wondered how many head slaps Timothy would endure and how wide Tony’s grin would become after each spanking he had to deliver for all of the mischief those two could find them connected to. Gibbs’ thoughts were interrupted when he looked up and saw the surgeon walking their way. Gibbs came to his feet and waited for the doctor to approach them, to tell them about his boy.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

_“Mr. DiNozzo made it out of surgery. He’s currently in recovery where he will be for the next few hours before he’ll be moved to his own room.” The doctor explained._

_“It’s Detective DiNozzo. Will he be all right?” Gibbs asked, his voice sounded strange to him. He was aware of the fact that Ducky came to stand next to him._

_“I do apologize. The man who had him managed to do some extensive damage to Detective DiNozzo’s body. His torso is covered in patches of second-degree burns. Seems like some sort of Taser or cattle prod made them. We’ve treated the wounds and none of the burns should scar. His nose has been set straight. His eyes sustained no damage and as soon as the swelling goes down, he’ll be able to see again. I am worried about the breaks in his hands, especially the left hand. We’ve inserted some pins and screws to see if we can get it sorted out. We will keep an eye on it. He sustained three fractured ribs on the right side, four broken ones on the left. One of the broken ribs managed to penetrate his lung. We repaired that damage, but he’s still on a ventilator at the moment, bar any conclusions, that will heal properly. I will not wean him from the ventilator until I’m totally satisfied that he’s out of danger and breathing on his own.”_

_The doctor looked at the two men in front of him and then continued. “Detective DiNozzo also took some heavy blunt force hits to the abdomen. His kidneys, liver and spleen are bruised. His kidneys will be watched specifically. I hope that dialysis will not be necessary. Moving on to his legs: the right, as you’re well aware was broken in three different places. Luckily, for us all three breaks were clean and we set them easily. The ankle in the left leg sustained a nasty break. Once again, we used plates to hold it together. However, there’s also some luck. With enough physical therapy, he’ll be able to walk again, even without an obvious limp. I don’t see any of the injuries sustained impairing him in his duties. He will be a bit worse for wear for a period, but with enough rest and physical therapy as I said, he’ll be on his feet again in no time. There should be no lasting damage.”_

Gibbs looked on at the sedated man before him as he remembered what the doctor told them. A few hours had passed and Tony was finally moved to his own room, but then about an hour ago he woke up and immediately went into fighting mode. Not even Gibbs could get him to calm down and Tony was sedated. The doctor didn’t look too perturbed about it, saying that with what Tony went through, he still had to realize he was safe, and until then it was fight or flee for him. Since Tony was in no condition to flee, he fought. Gibbs still didn’t like it. He wanted his boy to wake up and be all right. He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. Gibbs placed his hand over Tony’s and smiled as he took a sip of his coffee. Timothy brought it for him not even half an hour ago, stating that he knew Gibbs would need it. And how right had he been. With coffee in hand and Tony before him and by what the doctor said on the mend, Gibbs could finally relax. They had a hard time ahead of them until Tony was up and about again. He had no qualms in realizing that Tony would keep him on his toes, but with their friends around he knew they would make it.

Gibbs leaned in and kissed Tony on the top of the hand and squeezed it lightly. “I’m here, boy. You’re safe. You’ll be all right.” Receiving no response, Gibbs kept his hand over Tony’s and rested his eyes. He would feel the moment Tony moved and he’d be there. He’d be ready.

**oo0oo – NCIS SESA 2015 – oo0oo**

**72 Hours later**

“McSavior you all right?” Tony’s voice was hoarse and he swallowed hard. He felt groggy but it was day three of his recovery and at least knew where he was. It was however the first time he saw McGee again after the rescue mission and he couldn’t remember if the younger agent was unharmed.

“It’s McGee,” Timothy replied automatically but still smiled. “I’m good, how are you feeling?” He reached for the cup of shaved ice and spooned a few of the small slivers in Tony’s mouth. Gibbs had gone home to take a shower and Timothy had volunteered to stay with the injured detective until Gibbs returned.

Tony shifted slowly. His whole body still ached and from what he could remember that Gibbs told him, he knew he’d be out of action for quite some time. “I’ll survive.” He sighed.

“Gibbs told me that you’ll be off your feet for the next couple of weeks.”

Tony huffed in annoyance. “I’m going to hate every moment of it.”

“You like online gaming?” Timothy took a chance, wanting the man who meant the world to Gibbs were not too bored.

Tony smiled. “I love it! You do realize I’m not the only one who’s got a nickname or two for you, McPlaya?” He laughed when Tim looked confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“Boss calls you Elf Lord.” Tony grimaced in pain as he laughed too hard and his body complained at the action. “Shit,” he hissed and then took a couple of deep breaths to stop himself from laughing further.

It no longer sounded strange to hear Tony call Gibbs, Boss. Now that he understood their dynamics, he made peace with it. Timothy shook his head out of surprise. “No, he would never!”

Tony smiled. “Yes, he would and yes, he does.” He leaned forward and whispered in Timothy’s ear. “It was also him who filled your desk with the paper punch’s confetti.”

McGee’s eyes grew large. “I will get him for that. It’s war!”

Tony grinned. “Since I’ll have so many hours of doing nothing on my hands I’ll help. But, if he finds out, you’re on your own.”

“Deal!” Timothy reached out and grasped Tony’s hand shaking it hard. Both men smiled from ear to ear.

Gibbs sighed as he stood just outside the room sipping his coffee and listened to two of the most important people in his life planning to get even with him. He couldn’t help but to smile. Ducky and Tobias were both right, Timothy and Tony were going to be good friends and he had no objection to that, in fact, he looked forward in taking them on in the upcoming prank war. It was going to be fun.

**The End**


End file.
